. >> reporter: meanwhile some senators are suggesting the only option now to avoid a fiscal cliff is a scaled-back deal to stop tax increases for most americans. we just hear heard heard ed elude to that. we are joined my jaime. what happens if the president and congress fail to reach an agreement on averting this so-called fiscal cliff? >> well, we go over it. you know, maybe the analogy of fiscal cliff that everyone is using might not be perfect because that doesn't end everything. there will be negotiations afterwards. in fact republicans who think that we are going overlook to the debt ceiling hike that will have to happen some time in the beginning of next year, perhaps at the end of january, or early february, at the point where negotiations will really pick up again, because they'll have some leverage there. there are reports out that some agencies, the defense department, that are facing these cuts as a result of the fiscal cliff are planning already ahead knowing that there will be negotiations afterwards if no deal is reached, and believing that some type of remedy will occ